Branzino Recipe
This roasted branzino recipe is a delicious 20-minute summer dish. A whole branzino is lightly seasoned, stuffed with shallots and lemon slices, and baked to flaky perfection.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 whole branzini fish cleaned, each fish should weigh about 1-pound
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 whole meyer lemon cut into 6 wedges and divided
- 3 whole meyer lemons thinly sliced
- 1½ shallots thinly sliced
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Prepare the fish. Lay the (already cleaned and gutted) fish flat on the prepared baking sheet. Cut 3 small slits on the side of each fish, opposite of the side that's already cut through the fish.
- Season the branzino. Rub the fish with olive oil on the outside and inside the body cavity, and season with salt and pepper - inside and out. Squeeze lemon wedges over each fish and inside the fish.
- Stuff the fish. Stuff a couple of lemon slices and some of the sliced shallots inside the cavity of each branzino. Arrange the remaining lemon slices and shallots over the top of the branzini.
- Bake. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the thickest part of the fish registers an internal temperature of 145°F on a meat thermometer. Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler. Broil the fish for 3-5 minutes or until a tad crispy. Remove the fish from the oven.
- Finish it off. Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges over the fish (one lemon wedge per fish) and garnish with parsley. Serve.
Notes
- Clean the fish. Ask the fishmonger behind the counter to clean the fish. Red snapper is a good substitute if branzini is unavailable.
- Don't overcook. A whole branzino cooks fast, especially at a higher oven temperature. It’s ready when the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. If you’re using a meat thermometer, you’re looking for an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Seasoning options. I used simple seasonings, but optional additions can include dried oregano and garlic powder.
- Lemons. I like using Meyer lemons because of their sweet flavor, but you can use regular lemons, too.
- Shallots. If you don't have any shallots, red onion is OK to use.
- Storage. Keep leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 1708mg | Potassium: 638mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
